MISTREAT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does mistreat mean? 

• MISTREAT (verb)
  The verb MISTREAT has 1 sense:

1. treat badly

  Familiarity information: MISTREAT used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MISTREAT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they mistreat    ... he / she / it mistreats   
Past simple: mistreated   
Past participle: mistreated   
-ing form: mistreating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Treat badly

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

abuse; ill-treat; ill-use; maltreat; mistreat; step

Context example:

She is always stepping on others to get ahead

Hypernyms (to "mistreat" is one way to...):

do by; handle; treat (interact in a certain way)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "mistreat"):

kick around (treat badly; abuse)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They want to mistreat the prisoners

Derivation:

mistreatment (the practice of treating (someone or something) badly)

 Context examples 

Ikeega tore her hair and put soot of the seal-oil on her face in token of her grief; and the women assailed the men with bitter words in that they had mistreated the boy and sent him to his death; and the men made no answer, preparing to go in search of the body when the storm abated.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)